BryanW

For Challenge 645. A bit autobiographical, this one. 

A recent report suggested that if the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs had hit the Earth a few seconds later it would have splashed in the ocean fairly harmlessly and history, or rather, pre-history would have been completely different. Man's rather limited 200,000 years time on earth would probably not have happened. 

For Oonah's Paper Doll Challenge 641. 

For Challenge 640 - The Garden of Cosmic Speculation. 

For Bazz's Elemental Challenge 631 

Dear reader, the dialogue in this historical account, at least until the final scene which took place in the Protestant Cemetery in Rome in 1888, when the famous memorial to William Wetmore Storey and his wife was first unveiled, has been translated from the Italian - rather badly, I’m afraid, by your humble and linguistically challenged narrator.  

For Bazz's Challenge 628 

For TassieDevil's Challenge 627. As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods They kill us for their sport.  

For Cliff Hanger's Challenge 624. The Christmas card in question had a bunch of Santa's elves on it and I was a bit worried about their working conditions ... And so who says I can't do political satire now, eh? 

For Chestermummy's Challenge 623. 

This story is based on Elvis's American Trilogy - a medley of 'My heart belongs to Dixie', the lullaby 'Hush Little Baby Don't You Cry' and 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic'- you know, that one that goes "Glory, Glory Hallelujah. Sing or hum these while you read an, you never know, you might even manage to improve the quality of the writing. 

I discovered these couple of pages, hidden, I guess, behind a loose stone in the wall of the Old Jail House in the village of Stretton, a coaching stop in Rutland, on the old Great North Road from London, through York to Edinburgh. 

For Cliff Hanger's Impossible 616 Challenge 

For Bazz's 614 Challenge of the senses. 

For Bazz's Challenge 582 

For Bazz's Week 577 Challenge 

For Rio's Halloween Challenge - 575 

For Sandra's Tribute to John Challenge - Week 551 

For the Deadly Sin Challenge. Starts with some vanity - but I suppose that's not deadly? I think there's a touch of envy, just a hint of two types of lust, and some wrath involved - but our mc's problem is mainly pride. 

For TassieDevil's 537 Song Title Challenge 

For Bazz's Surprise Challenge 533 

For Challenge 531. 

For Week 524 Challenge. I suppose it might help if you know Gene Pitney's '24 Hours to Tulsa' - but then agai, it might not.  

For Loopili's Week 517 Challenge 

Entry for Tassie Devil's 516 Neighbours Challenge 

For the 'Something to hold on to' Challenge. 

For Challenge 492 

For Challenge 489 

Intended as a cautionary tale for us all. It's a rushed job. And I can tell you one thing I'm not addicted to - and that's Christmas shopping! 

For the 486 Challenge. Sorry about the beached whale simile. I couldn't think of another at the time but I sense there should be a metaphor or simile there! Feel free to replace it with a better one of your own. 

For Week 485 Challenge. I was very taken with the myth of the Trojan War as a youngster. I suppose it is one of my thoughts about honour in war that pops up in my story here.  

I was told, or I read, that by far the most common final word from soldiers dying in WW1 was "Mother." This is a true story, fictionalised. One of the names has been changed. 

NOT for entry in the competition - obviously - I'm judging this week's. But I thought I'd have a go at writing something anyway. 

A first upload in this group for me. I'd appreciate any comments. Oh - one thing - should a chunk of the Keats poem referred to be presented earlier or even at the start to help the reader? 

For Week 482 Challenge 'Passing it on"